Bob Clouser: Surface Flies for Smallmouth

May 7, 2007 By: Marshall Cutchin

Mention Bob Clouser’s name in a room full of fly fishers and you are likely to see heads nod, mostly in recognition of the Clouser Deep Minnow. But the Minnow is only a small part of Clouser’s contribution to fly fishing — an offshoot, really, of his passion for smallmouth bass. Lefty Kreh calls Clouser “the best flyrod smallmouth man I have ever fished with.” Perhaps it is because Clouser has spent more than a quarter century studying smallmouth habits and guiding for them on the Susquehanna River.
Clouser finally collected his extensive knowledge of smallmouth fishing in a well-written book that came out in January. Fly Fishing for Smallmouth in Rivers and Streams (Stackpole, 226 pages) is a treatise on all aspects of fly fishing for smallmouth: finding them, feeding them, casting to them and landing them. This week we’re happy to share an excerpt describing the tactics Clouser recommends for presenting surface flies to his favorite fish. New on MidCurrent.
Fly-Fishing for Smallmouth on Amazon.